Two artists to discuss how their disabilities have shaped their careers and life experiences

October 15, 2014

Two local and highly-acclaimed artists--Patricia Buckley Moss and Carol Crawford Smith--will discuss how their disabilities have shaped their careers and life experiences at a public lecture to be held Friday, Oct. 31, at the Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech.

The free event will be held from 9 a.m.to 12:30 p.m. in the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Moss Arts Center’s Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall. To attend, you must register online by Thursday, Oct. 23.

Moss, who signs her paintings P. Buckley Moss, has dyslexia. She has talked openly about her struggles in school until an open-minded teacher recognized her artistic potential. Today, her paintings are display in more than 200 galleries across the nation. She has won numerous awards, and is the namesake of a foundation that supports teachers who use art in their teaching.

Founder and artistic director of The Center of Dance in Blacksburg, Crawford Smith is a professional dancer who spent 10 years as a soloist with the highly acclaimed Dance Theatre of Harlem. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2000, Crawford Smith will share her story as a voice of inspiration to others.

In 2006, she was featured on ABC Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and received a new home and renovated dance studio.

Parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street. Virginia Tech faculty and staff possessing a valid Virginia Tech parking permit can enter and exit the garage free of charge. Limited street parking is also available. Visitors parking on campus Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. (to 8 p.m. on the Drillfield) must have a permit. More information about obtaining a visitor parking permit is available online.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month is a national campaign sponsored by the Department of Labor designed to raise awareness concerning disability employment issues.

Individuals with a disability who desire an accommodation should contact the HR Service Center at 540-231-9331 by 5 p.m. Oct. 15.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.